conworldfandomcom-20200222-history
Murserism
Murserism is a religion that originated over a millennium ago in the Kalaal region and today has over 12 million followers, most of whom live in Lurberas. It's primary teaching is that Mursa Kolaan was chosen by the supreme being, Setogh, to write the Kirvia, the religion's sacred text, over the course of twenty years in which she details how Setogh gifted her with the teseran, or divine insight, which allowed her to understand the true nature of Setogh and his creations: the universe, the world, and humanity. According to the Kirvia, Setogh also revealed to Kolaan the existence of Pesbir, an evil being who was created from the hatred, anger, lust, greed, and jealously of mankind. Murserism teaches that Pesbir continues to grow stronger as long as humanity remains deviant and if his growth is not stopped, he will bring about the destruction of humanity. Those who are loyal to Setogh are promised to be protected from Pesbir's annihilation, a doctrine known as the Khost, while those who rejected Setogh's commands and helped Pesbir grow stronger will be left to suffer in eternal darkness rife of despair and void of hope. Also found in the Kirvia are many accounts of Kolaan's life before and after her revelation as well as instructions on how to live righteously in accordance with Setogh's will. In order to spread their faith beyond Kalaal, descendants of Kolaan's original followers sailed to Lurberas and began proselytize by introducing the Kirvia and building many temples and chapels. The religion spread quickly throughout Lurberas and resulted in the conversion of King June I who proclaimed Lurberas was to be a Murserist state. This began a period of Murserist dominance in Lurberan society and culture whose effects can be still seen today. This lasted until the abolition of the monarchy in 1879 which occurred during an era when Enlightenment ideals where beginning to take hold in Lurberas. Since then, Murserism has become a minority religion and has had a distraught and strained relationship with the now irreligious majority. Calls and support for an independent Murserist state, which is known as Murserist domainism, has grown in recent years, especially following the 2008 Zeitu riots. Within popular culture, Murserism is well-known for it's elaborate funeral practices which are rooted in the belief that a deceased person's spirit must be guided into the appropriate afterlife. The core teachings of Murserism also include Kolaan's infallibility, the five characteristics of Setogh, and humanity's preeminence in the universe. Themes found in the Kirvia include isolation, redemption, and temptation, reverence for the truth. Beliefs Setogh Murserists believe Setogh created the universe and everything in it roughly 200,000 years ago and that he is the final arbitrator on what is moral and what is truth. According to the Kirvia, humans appeared shortly after the creation of the universe and became sufficiently intelligent to understand their responsibility to Setogh in 972. He chose Mursa Kolaan to proclaim his message to humanity because "...of all the people in four corners of the earth, she was of the noblest, the purest, and righteous. Born was she with a natural instinct to serve her creator and so faithfully did she" (Kirvia 2:4:17). Setogh gave her an ability called the teseran which allowed her to understand the true nature of Setogh and the universe. Setogh promised humanity that he will protect all those faithful to him from Pesbir's wrath, a promise called the khost. Setogh's qualities are summarized in the doctrine known as the Five Characteristics of Setogh which are described in the Kirvia: "Know this child that I am of five: The creator, truth, all-present, one, and without flaw" (Kirvia 1:2:9) While all Murserists are expected to live righteously in order to grow closer with Setogh, according to the Kirvia, it is impossible to truly know and understand Setogh outside of these five characteristics. Only Mursa Kolaan had intimate knowledge of Setogh as a result of the teseran she was gifted by him. The Kirvia provides no visual description of Setogh other than the hamak, which is said to be a illustration of his five characteristics. It is considered blasphemous to create any images of Setogh other than the hamak. Out of reverence for Setogh, he is typically not referred to by his actual name except in very important rituals, such as Momanor, the day of redemption, held on the third Monday of June and November 11, Mursa Kolaan's birthday. Instead, he is often referred to as simply "the Creator". The lesser name "Hayeer" is also sometimes used. Mursa Kolaan Mursa Kolaan is regarded by Murserists to be Setogh's divine messenger and as such is held in extremely high regard in Murserist culture, some sects even worshiping her alongside Setogh. She is often referred to as the Daughter of Setogh although Kolaan herself made no claims of divine kinship. Unlike with Setogh, it is not considered blasphemous to create images of Kolaan and it is very common to find at least one portrait of her adorned in Murserist homes. However, images of Kolaan can vary considerably as no description of her exists beyond vague depictions found in the Kirvia. Little records of her life other than the Kirvia exist, though it is generally accepted that she was born on November 11, 954 to a poor family in Kalaal. Her parents are unknown and it is not clear if she had any brothers or sisters. She never married and had no children. It is thought she lived in Kalaal until her death in 993, when she was 39 years old. It is unknown what her cause of death was. According to Murserist teachings, she was executed by immolation for witchcraft but no records of this have been found. In the Kirvia, Setogh describes her as "Gracious, beautiful, wise, and faithful, a treasure that will not be matched in this world. No man would ever be worthy of her hand, and she alone will guide humanity to redemption" (Kirvia 2:6:9) Pesbir Pesbir is known in Murserist theology as the primary evil force in the universe, created by the hatred, jealously, greed, lust, and wrath of humanity and is regarded by Murserists as Setogh's divine punishment for humanity's depravity. Pesbir is described as having an intense hatred for humans and seeks their destruction, primarily by tempting them into rejecting Setogh's commands, using his limited abilities which include the power to create evil spirits known as shamineries. Shamineries are agents of Pesbir and execute his will on earth by terrorizing and tormenting humans, leading them to commit violent and heinous acts against each other and themselves which in turn empower Pesbir further. It is controversially believed by Murserists that mental illness is caused by prolonged attacks by shamineries. If Pesbir's growth is not stopped, he will eventually become powerful enough to destroy the world, an event called the bukara. This event is considered to be inevitable by most Murserists. Anyone who was not faithful to Setogh will be consumed by Pesbir and will suffer in an eternal darkness, which is described as being void of any hope and full of sadness, regret, and despair. Practices Takabath The takabath is the ritual held by Murserists around the world on the first Friday of each month. Led by the local Valayen (wiseman), it is usually an hour-long event and consists of 5 parts and involves prayers to Setogh, a reading from the Kirvia, a sermon by the valayen, veneration of Kolaan and ends with a ritual to guide spirits of the recently deceased to the afterlife, often elderly members of the community. A primitive form of the takabath was developed by Kolaan and was expanded on by succeeding generations, resulting in its current modern form. It is considered to be a sacred event and is treated as a day of rest and reflection. Missing the takabath without being excused by a valayen is a serious offense and is one of the few sins that cannot be absolved until the annual Momanor although a valayen can absolve such a sin before Momanor if a person was not able to obtain a excuse by a valayen due to a grave or pressing affair. History Murserism originated in Kalaal in 972 when Mursa Kolaan began writing the Kirvia after being inspired to do so by Setogh. When Kolaan died in 993, her original followers continued her work, proselytizing in Kalaal, but they found difficulty converting large numbers. Demographics Category:Desperatio